


Good Things Come In Small Packages

by FlowerOfRegret



Category: Mystery Skulls (Band), Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Again, Angst, Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff, G/T, Giant/Tiny, M/M, Pickin on the Sunflower
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-13 19:10:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7982968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlowerOfRegret/pseuds/FlowerOfRegret
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur gets shrunk during a case and the bad guys get away. The team has no idea how to reverse it and go home with a 5 1/2in, very upset Arthur.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The plan… as in, Arthur has the worst of luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What am I even doing...?

The case started simple enough

There had been a string of robberies in a few small shops in neighboring towns.

The police tried to investigate, but were stumped on how the robberies were accomplished.

The security cameras would show a hooded figure ‘ _magically’_ appear inside the store and unlock the doors. Five more figures, still cloaked, would enter and collect odd things from around the building before loading up into a vehicle.

Then the figures, as well as the vehicle, would seem to vanish on sight, not leaving a trace.

After the sixth robbery, one store owner brought it to the attention of a certain paranormal investigation group.

After some agreement with the local law enforcement, or in Vivi’s case, a whole lot of arguing, The Mystery Skulls were granted access to all security footage and a list of items stolen.

….

“Tranquilizer darts?” Arthur shook his head, “Are you sure we’re dealing with a cult and not some poachers or something?”

“Well Artie, based on the majority of the things stolen, like a few hundred pounds of salt, spices, a few dozen quarts of pigs blood and a truck load of chickens and rabbits…”

_“Either we’re dealing with a cult, or someone just has a really Big cook out planned,_ ” Lewis cut in humorously.

“Not to mention the thief’s wearing cloaks and disappearing without a trace,” Mystery concluded.

Arthur only huffed.

Cultists were weird.

 

* * *

 

 

A pattern was discerned by the Skulls, well, mainly by Arthur cause the man is brilliant at figuring any puzzle out, and the four of them made a stake out at the next targeted building, which happened to be a large hardware store.

The team split up to cover more ground.

Lewis tagged with Arthur and Mystery went with Vivi.

Vivi had been practicing her magic and the kitsune wanted to monitor her and ensure she didn’t go overboard with any spells.

There was no such thing as a ‘ _little’_ spell when it came to the bluenette.

Lewis would have gone off on his own, the cultists seeming more passive than past cases, but the large specter knew Arthur’s streak of bad luck and could tell the blond felt more at ease if he wasn’t alone.

Though, the ghost had to wonder how his friend could feel any comfort from him, after what he almost did… when they were first reunited…

“Hey… did you hear that?”

Lewis was pulled from his thoughts at Arthur’s hushed tone, the young man’s hand shaking slightly as he shone the flashlight about.

Lewis brought a hand up and a large flame ignited in his palm, casting a pink glow all around.

Arthur was thankful for the extra light, but couldn’t help but huddle closer to the ghost as the eerie glow cast deformed shadows of everything around them.

Arthur always saw the ghost as a point of safety and security.

Lewis felt a swell of confidence in himself as a trembling hand lightly grasped his shoulder from behind.

Looking down at his friend, Lewis assured his smaller companion, “ _Don’t worry Artie. You’ve got a flaming, skeleton ghost as backup. What could happen?”_

The blond would have replied something negative but never got the chance as a loud ‘ **clank** ’ sounded, causing both to freeze in their tracks.

Arthur clung more to his friend’s back as Lewis brought up his other hand and took a fighting stance.

Arthur nearly shrieked when something bumped into his foot, yelping as the ghost he was clinging to, turned sharply towards the danger.

Both deadpanned at the paint can that was still rocking near their feet where it had rolled from a shelf.

“….”

_“….”_

Both boys slowly looked up at each other.

Lewis cleared his nonexistent throat with a smirk while Arthur blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“M-must of b-bumped it with my h-hand…” Arthur waved his prosthetic to emphasize.

_“Uh-hu”_ Lewis hummed mockingly, the smirk never leaving his skull.

Arthur pouted, huffing as he continued walking.

He was about to retort when he froze.

Something had made a ‘clicking’ sound… like the sound of a… gun

Arthur paled as he remained frozen, the worst case scenarios playing through his head at the speed of light.

_“Arthu-?”_

 

* * *

“I hope this case isn’t another bust…” Vivi grumbled as she and Mystery walked through an aisle full of installation.

“For Arthur’s sake, I hope this cult doesn’t upgrade from chickens and rabbits” Mystery replied, walking beside his charge in his true form.

The kitsune had a glamor around him, making him appear fuzzy on electrical devises, so there was no worry of security footage of the mythical beast.

Security would only see a small dog with a red and black main walking beside his owner.

“So, you think it is a cult and not just some punks robbing the locals?” Vivi whispered, her hand glowing a faint blue light.

“Not too close to the installation, you could melt it,” Mystery chided, keeping an eye on the blue flame as his charge stepped away from the shelves. “And as for your question, I think we shouldn’t let our guard down just yet.”

Mystery paused, his ears twitching at a faint rustling sound came from up ahead. He tried to sniff the air but the shelf contents were making his nose itch.

Vivi noticed her companion had paused and raised her hand with the flame higher to cast more light.

 

There was a strange sound, almost like a sudden release of air from a compressor.

Mystery didn’t have time to dwell on it as he leaped in front of his charge, fanning his tails out as a shield.

A few small darts sunk harmlessly into his thick fur, not even coming close to his skin.

Vivi spun out from under the tails and threw the ball of energy in the direction of the shots. There was a gasp as someone hit the ground, knocking a shelf over in the process, scattering its contents.

Mystery stood taller and shook the projectiles from his tails, a small metal chink sounding as they hit the floor

Vivi lit up her other hand and pointed it at the unconscious man.

He was wearing what appeared to be a homemade black robe, a weird looking gun in his hand.

The bluenette picked up the weapon to inspect it.

It looked like some kind of air-compressor gun, with a pressure gauge on the side. But it had been modified.

She would have to ask Arthur to be sure

But this cult wasn’t as passive as they originally thought

These guys knew how to make weapons… and use them.

 

“At least we now know what they got the tranquilizer darts for…” Vivi stated, picking up a red, feather plumed dart with a fairly large needle on the other end.

Mystery sniffed the weapon and his nose wrinkled in disgust, “That’s not a tranquilizer. It’s loaded with something else” the kitsune growled.

“Like what?” Vivi examined the dart, before pulling a large vile from her sleeve and carefully placing the dart inside to study later.

There was a loud crashing sound as well as a few yells followed by a very large wall of pink flames on the other side of the store.

Mystery and Vivi exchanged a somewhat worried glance before heading towards the commotion.

Mystery had to admit that Lewis went overboard just as much as Vivi.

 

* * *

 

Without thinking, the mechanic plowed into the ghost that was standing beside him, tackling him to the ground as something shot over them.

Lewis yelped in surprise but floated back to his feet with Arthur still in his arms as they heard hushed voices.

There was movement in the corner of his peripheral but before Lewis could put his friend behind him, something red flew right at them.

Arthur let out a pained yelp as something pierced his skin.

Looking down, Arthur deadpanned as he saw a plume of feathers sticking out of his pants.

He had been shot in the ass…

He didn’t know whether to be embarrassed, concerned or just down right annoyed.

Why was _He_ always the one…

Suddenly, the room pitched out of focus as a wave of nausea flowed over the blond. Arthur had to grab onto his friend before he fell over.

“Fucking Cults…” Arthur groaned as he felt lightheaded, swaying on his feet.

 

Lewis shielded his friend as more darts flew past them, a few sticking to his back before they burned up and fell to the ground.

The ghost picked Arthur up and jumped over some fallen planks, a makeshift barrier between them and the lunatics.

_“Heh, at least we know what they stole the darts for”_ Lewis tried to joke as he settled Arthur down in a corner.

Arthur tried to send the ghost a glare but his head was spinning, making him feel sick.

Lewis’s fire crackled in worry as Arthur slumped, unable to hold his head up anymore.

There was shouting as a few more cultists showed up, trying to trap the two.

Lewis held down his concern for now, seeing Arthur’s chest still rising and falling, albeit a little faster than normal, before letting out a feral growl and standing at his full height and igniting his hands in flames.

As everything started to get darker, Arthur felt a gentle squeeze on his shoulder as the ghost stood, followed by screams and flames.

Before he blacked out, a slight feeling of pity filled his mind for the cultists.

 

…..

_“Arthur…?”_

Arthur groaned, rolling over to push himself to sit up, his head pounding.

The blond opened his eyes and hissed, his vision spinning and out of focus.

“L-lew…”

Gah, everything sounded so loud, even his own voice.

The floor felt colder than he remembered, and it vibrated as if something large was stomping around.

Soon, the vibrations stopped and it got quiet.

_“Artie?!”_ Lewis sounded distressed, as if he didn’t know where the blond was.

Arthur went to answer his friend but his call died in his throat.

His vision had cleared finally and he could see better with all the light from Lewis’s flames.

Arthur noticed that his surroundings were a lot different than he remembered.

There were a few tools scattered around from the struggle and Arthur couldn’t help but notice how… **big** everything looked.

He was sitting right next to a hammer and the head was about the size of a coffee table compared to him.

Arthur began to shake, hoping that whatever was in that dart was a hallucinant and that he was just having a really bad ‘trip’

Arthur jumped as something crashed nearby, the ground shaking from the impact. He had to cover his ears as the ghost began to scream his name,

_“Arthur!?”_ there was panic to the ghost’s call, not being able to find his friend where he had left him.

“LEWIS!”

A small scream got the specter’s attention. The ghost paused as he heard his name be called in a rather small voice.

It came from the corner he had left his friend, but he had already looked there, not seeing anyone.

The lunatics in the black cloaks had run off. The ghost feared they may have taken his friend when he wasn’t looking.

Lewis floated over scattered tools and broken shelves before peering over the stack of planks he hid Arthur behind.

He scanned around hurriedly until he saw a rather small patch of bright yellow.

At first, it looked like a weird screw driver, until it stood up and grabbed at its head, screaming,

“I Fucking Hate Cults!”

The ghost’s eyes grew in realization.

_“…!!!”_

_“Oh…”_

 

* * *

 

Lewis wasn’t sure how long he stood there before Vivi and Mystery found them.

Mystery skidded to a halt at the edge of the chaos, scolding the ghost with a parental growl,

“Lewis! Did you haft to wreck half the store?”

The ghost didn’t move, his back still facing the two.

Vivi looked around, scanning for their third companion,

“Lewis, where’s Arthur?”

There was worry in her voice.

Lewis’s shoulders stiffened before sagging as he finally turned around, something clutched in his hands.

The ghost’s anchor was beating rapidly as Vivi and Mystery stepped over debris and approached him.

Lewis only held his hands out slightly for the others to see.

Mystery saw the small, trembling figure sitting in the specters’ hands and his ears drooped.

Arthur was barely six inches tall as he sat in the specter’s hands, his arms crossed and his face scrunched up in annoyance.

Vivi gasped loudly, an amused smile crossing her face

Arthur had the worst of luck

“Arthur! You look like an action figure~” Vivi giggled as the blond pouted, trying to stand but losing his balance and falling on his rear,

“Not fucking funny Vi!”

Vivi only laughed louder. She had thought his voice would be high-pitched and squeaky, but Arthur’s voice was softer, as if someone had turned down the volume. 

Lewis and Mystery could only look at the mechanic with sympathy as Vivi continued to poke fun.

“What’s with the ‘short’ temper?”

“God damn it!”

_“It… it is reversible, r-right?”_ Lewis asked the two magic users, causing Vivi to stop her teasing and Arthur to look up with worry.

Mystery sniffed at the blond, taking notice how the smaller man flinched from his muzzle.

The canine’s nose scrunched up in anger. Arthur smelled of that strange substance from the darts that cult member had shot at them earlier.

Scanning around, he could see several red feathers scattered around, but no darts.

Did they pick them up before they fled?

“I… I’m not sure” Mystery’s ears flattened as his tails drooped.

Vivi’s smile faded as she took on a more serious demeanor.

With a determined march, Vivi headed back to where she and Mystery were attacked.

Lewis followed, his eyes never leaving their mechanic cupped protectively in his hands.

Arthur huddled in the center of the ghost’s hands, hugging himself tightly, trying not to fall into despair…

Vivi’s steps faltered when she approached the broken shelf, the unconscious cult member nowhere to be found.

Even the darts that had been left behind were gone.

“….”

Never leaving a trace

“Fuck…”

Arthur really did have rotten luck…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read
> 
> If you see any mistakes, point them out ta me ;)


	2. Yes, I am smaller. No, I am not intimidated by you because you are bigger…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait.  
> My seasonal job starts this weekend and I've been training.  
> And by seasonal job, I mean the best job ever! (in my opinion)
> 
> If anyone is curious as to what that is, here's to give you an idea:  
> http://tatertron1.deviantart.com/art/Screamster-2014-633964630?ga_submit_new=10%253A1474040876&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1
> 
> Anyway, have a thing

No one knew what to say as they headed back to the van.

Vivi and Mystery had done what they could to fix the mess the cult, and a certain ghost, had made. Lewis hovered off to the side, holding their unlucky companion, his deadbeats helping the others in his absence.

Vivi called the store owner and the local authorities, stating that new information has surfaced and that they would be back. Luckily, she got their voicemail, so she didn’t have to go into detail.

It was almost dawn when they were ready to leave.

Lewis continued to carry Arthur as the mechanic hugged himself tight, sitting in a massive palm while the ghost’s other hand acted as a barrier to prevent him from falling.

When they got to the van, Vivi went to turn to Arthur to unlock it when she faltered.

Lewis looked down to see Arthur holding the keys in his flesh hand, glaring at them now that they were no bigger than a flea.

Lewis slowly moved his other hand and reached into the door, unlocking the van with a click.

The ghost looked from his friend to the steering wheel. Arthur had a scowl on his little face as he stared at the dash board.

“You’ll have to jump start the engine Lewis” Arthur mumbled, putting the keys back into his vest pocket.

Mystery shrank down to his ‘dog’ form and jumped into the back as Vivi got into the passenger seat.

The blond huffed when there was a magenta spark and the van’s engine roared to life. Spectral energy and mechanics really didn’t mix and he knew he’d have to work on his baby when they got home.

That is… after they fixed his ‘ _little’_ problem.

 “… I’ll just… sit in the back… I guess” Arthur was holding his left arm, not making eye contact.

Lewis continued to stare at his friend, not sure what to do.

_“Maybe, I should hold onto you…?”_ his voice echoed with worry.

Arthur looked to the ghost with a raised eyebrow,

“No offence man, but I really don’t want to be man-handled right now”

He just wanted to get home and get back to normal.

Lewis fiddled with his ascot,

_“That is, I don’t think it would be safe for you to not wear a seat-belt…”_

Arthur glared at the even more towering specter, “Well, Mystery never wears a seat-belt…” he snapped, trying and failing to push his frustration and anxiety away.

The argument continued for a good ten minutes, Arthur wanting to be left alone and Lewis afraid to put him down, too many things loose and potentially dangerous in the van.

Vivi offered to drive, but that notion was shot down immediately.

They probably would have been arguing for another hour, that is, until Mystery suggested to putting the blond in Galahad’s travel cage, the hamster having been left with Lance.

If looks could kill…

_“Arthur, just let me-”_

“I’m Not made of glass! So stop treating me like an object and just drive!” Arthur yelled, glaring at everyone.

Lewis jolted from the harsh tone before lowering his hand down slowly and placing the blond in the middle of the seat between him and Vivi.

Arthur seemed to deflate a moment later, his head dropping down as he grit his teeth,

“S-sorry… I didn’t mean to yell”

Lewis only nodded, watching as his friend slid from his hand and onto the seat.

Arthur huffed, his shoulders slightly trembling as he stumbled to the middle of the seat and plopped down, hugging his knees once more and hiding his face in his arms.

Right when he started to drive, the specter caught the mechanic’s sad whisper,

“I just… want to go home…”

The ghost put on his human façade and frowned as he pulled onto the road.

They’d fix this… they always did…

 

* * *

 

 

The ride home was… long, to put it blunt.

Arthur didn’t say a word the whole trip, sitting quietly in between the ghost and girl, hugging himself tightly.

For some reason, he was cold. Not just a chill, like the AC was on too high, but like he was sitting in cold water, his body heat being drained slowly.

Arthur tried to ignore it, despite an occasional shiver. They probably wouldn’t hear him if he said anything anyways…

Lewis and Vivi glanced at the blond constantly, worrying for him. They tried not to stare though, not wanting their friend to feel any more uncomfortable than he already was.

The first hour was fine, until they pulled off a highway and onto country roads.

Every turn and bump sent the shrunken mechanic sliding and tumbling until Vivi finally braced the blond to her hip.

The bluenette tried to joke, telling Arthur not to get any funny ideas down there.

That, at least, got the mechanic to blush, but the frown never left his face.

After a few minutes though, Arthur noticed how much warmer Vivi was. Or maybe, he really was cold. It wasn’t long before the blond scooted closer to the bluenette, drinking up the warmth, even hugging the fingers that were slightly wrapped around his waist.

Vivi noticed this and gave her tiny boyfriend a little squeeze for comfort.

It was near mid-day when their home was in view.

The tension hadn’t lessened much when the van pulled up to Lewis’s mansion.

_“We’re home…”_ Lewis stated unnecessarily, shutting off the engine.

No one moved

Mystery looked over the seat at his charges, everyone avoiding eye contact.

“Well… I guess me and Mystery could start on researching. If we can figure out what they hit Arthur with, we can figure out how to reverse it”

Arthur held back a whine when the warmth pulled away from him, shuffling back reluctantly so Vivi could move without accidently bumping him.

Arthur nearly fell over when Vivi slid off the seat, the cushion sinking and then springing back to its original state rocking him.

“ _I can start on lunch… or dinner, since you’ll most likely be staying up late”_ Lewis phased out the drivers’ door.

Everyone started walking towards the mansion before a small voice whispered,

“I-I guess… I’ll just stay here…” Arthur mumbled, still perched on the front seat and unable to get down.

Both human and ghost paused. They had almost forgotten…

Mystery and Vivi shared a look before turning to the blond, Lewis staring at his friend in sympathy,

_“Did you want someone to carry you?”_

Arthur didn’t look up, grumbling, “Do I really have a choice?”

The ghost went to grab the blond but hesitated when Arthur flinched. Lewis frowned when Arthur turned his head away, stuttering,

“S-sorry”

Lewis reassessed his approach and, slowly, rested his hand next to the mechanic.

Arthur hugged himself tighter as he approached the gargantuan platform. Lewis waited patiently as Arthur hesitantly climbed into his awaiting palm.

Once Arthur had sat in the middle of his hand, the specter curled his fingers up slightly to act as barriers.

Arthur shuddered as his surroundings looked more like a cage than a platform, trembling as the specter rose his hand up and level with his belly.

Arthur took a few deep breaths, reminding himself that this was Lewis, and that he would never hurt him... or drop him… or crush him by accident…

The blond shook his head forcefully, pushing those thoughts away and focusing on the warmth that now surrounded him.

Lewis remained still until Arthur’s trembling slowed; being able to feel the blond’s every move.

The ghost turned and followed the others towards the mansion, floating a few inches off the ground to make the trip as smooth as possible.

“It is best if you remain with someone at all times, seeing as you are smaller than Galahad now,” Mystery spoke over his shoulder, his collar jingling as he walked.

Arthur didn’t respond, his head ducked low.

“ _You could keep me company while I cook…”_ Lewis offered, not wanting to let the blond out of his sight.

Arthur continued to stare at his knees, holding his prosthetic,

“I’m not really hungry…” he just wanted to get his hands and mind busy so he could forget about his current predicament. He wanted to go to his workshop… but knew that would be impossible right now.

“You should still stay with Lew. The kitchen would probably be better to hang out in than the study. I wouldn’t want you to ‘ _literally’_ get lost in a good book” Vivi smiled at the blond before she looked up at the specter, placing a hand on his arm.

“Fine” Arthur gave in, feeling too tired to argue anyways.

Lewis tried to give an encouraging smile but it didn’t reach his eyes.

As soon as they entered the mansion, Lewis dispatched his deadbeats to start on the preparations for dinner.

Vivi and Mystery disappeared down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of Arthur's body not being able to retain heat came from answrs.


	3. I’ve Bean Better…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it seems rushed. I wanted to post something before my crazy came out for my weekend job.

Arthur hugged his arms tighter around himself, fighting off the impulse to shiver.

The mansion wasn’t always this cold, was it?

The kitchen was a decent size. There was a refrigerator, a stove and a dishwasher along the walls, though the ghost preferred to wash the dishes himself after every meal he prepared for his friends.

The granite counter tops were cluttered with spice jars and cooking utensils. The counter between the stove and the fridge held the coffee pot as well as the toaster.

There was a kitchen island in the middle of the room with a few bar stools tucked underneath for when the Skulls didn’t use the dining room, enjoying less formal meals as well as having closer proximity of each other.

 

When they entered the kitchen, the deadbeats had already gotten most of the needed utensils and ingredients out and placed on the counter and table.

After some thought, the ghost had placed Arthur on the kitchen island, not wanting his friend near the stove while it was on but still have him within arm’s reach.

 

Lewis began to chop an onion near the stove. The ghost continued to glance over his shoulder towards his friend, tracking the blond’s movements, making sure he was safe.

Deciding it was too cold to just stand around, Arthur decided to walk around and… explore his surroundings. Though, the thought was strange considering he was on the kitchen table and it wasn’t really anything spectacular. That is, until he noticed how everything seemed to tower over him.

“It’s like Pee-Wee’s play house but without the faces on everything…” Arthur thought aloud to himself.

His growing curiosity was temporarily dampening his bubbling anxiety and fear of his situation.

Lewis tried not to stare, but it was intriguing to watch the shrunken man explore his surroundings. Lewis’s deadbeats mimicked their master’s curiosity and hovered overhead, their yellow eyes wide in wonder.

Arthur was oblivious to the surrounding spooks as he explored around the spices and utensils the ghost had sat out.

He came to a measuring spoon and couldn’t help but stare.

They were the size of snow-shoes compared to him.

He was too focused in his thoughts that he didn’t notice when a deadbeat had hovered down right over top of him.

As soon as a shadow was cast over the mechanic, Arthur yelped and tried to back away.

The blond bumped into an open can before losing his footing.

He landed on his rump with a huff before looking up and gasping.

The can he bumped into was tipping towards him, almost in slow motion.

Arthur scrambled away as the can fell over, just missing being crushed but still getting splattered with its contents.

Lewis hovered over when he heard his deadbeats chirp in distress, just in time to see a spluttering blond, covered in bean juice.

_“Arthur? What happened? Are you all right?”_ Lewis crouched so his face was level with his friend.

Arthur was trying to wipe juice from his eyes, the stuff clinging to him like mud,

“I’ve ‘bean’ better…” he managed to cough out, spitting with disgust.

As he stood, Arthur could see his pants had been spared but his shirt, vest and hair weren’t so lucky.

Lewis couldn’t help the smile as he retorted to his friend,

_“Well, I’ve always said you should have more protein in your diet, but this isn’t what I had in mind.”_

Arthur tried to send the ghost a glare but it fell short, a small smile tugging on his face instead. Arthur was trying to wring the juice from his cloths but was having little success.

_“Here, let me help-”_

Lewis stood up strait as he laid his hand beside his friend, his eyes turning sad when Arthur flinched away.

Arthur cursed himself for his fear reaction.

He could feel the heat radiating off the specter’s palm and, before Lewis could pull away, began to clamor onto it, grabbing onto a large thumb for support, avoiding eye contact.

Lewis tried to smile as he carried his passenger over to the sink, grabbing a wash cloth. He knew Arthur was trying.

As he put his hand down on the counter for Arthur to climb off, the specter hummed in thought as he inspected the blond.

Arthur looked at his friend quizzically, waiting for the wash cloth to be handed to him.

_“Take off your shirt.”_ Lewis stated.

Arthur spluttered as his ears burned, squeaking indignantly,

“W-what?! Why?”

Lewis put a hand on his hip, pointing at his friend with the other one,

_“Cause I need to wash it.”_

Arthur only crossed his arms, turning his face to hide his blush.

_“Look, as of now, you only have the one outfit. And I’m sure you’d rather Not smell like bean juice until you’re back to normal.”_ Lewis stated matter of fact like.

Though, Lewis did have a few figurines with removable clothing.

But, even though he thought the idea was cute, and oh so tempting, he wouldn’t embarrass his friend by bringing it up.

Arthur grumbled as he slowly took his vest off, setting it down near his feet.

_“Besides, it’s not like I haven’t seen you shirtless before~”_ Lewis teased, grinning mischievously.

Arthur’s blush darkened as he stared down, fumbling with the hem of his shirt before taking it off too.

He let it drop near his vest before crossing his arms across his bare chest.

Arthur noticed his skin was a little more pale than usual. Maybe it was the cold?

He really didn’t care, but it did make his scars a little more noticeable. The blond hoped his shrunken size made them harder to see by the ghost.

Lewis knew Arthur was self-conscious of his scars, so he didn’t comment on them. He just stood there, glancing between the sink and his friend. He could see how pale Arthur was and that worried him.

The ghost turned on the faucet, letting the water get lukewarm.

When he was satisfied with the temperature, he turned back to the task at hand.

Pinching the tiny clothing between his pointer finger and thumb, the ghost took Arthur’s cloths and rinsed them off, handling them delicately so as not to tear them.

Arthur began to shiver as he grew cold again.

What is it with the cold?

When the ghost was satisfied that the cloths were clean, he set them off to the side.

But, instead of turning the water off, the ghost’s hand hovered over his friend.

Arthur ducked away on impulse, taking an involuntary step away from the appendage,

“Woah, y-you s-said my shirt!” Arthur stuttered.

Lewis frowned, pulling his hand back, _“Your hair’s coated too.”_

Arthur brought his flesh hand up and made a face when he felt bean goop in his hair.

Lewis fiddled with his fingers, _“I understand if you don’t trust me…”_

Arthur sighed as he dropped his hand back down to his side.

The blond huffed before taking a step towards his friend and reaching his arms out like a kid wanting to be picked up.

He had to clear his throat a few times before the ghost looked back at him.

Lewis’s eyes widened, _“Y-you sure?”_

Arthur smiled with a nod, “I do trust you Lew.”

Lewis brought his hand over and, very carefully, wrapped his fingers around Arthur’s torso.

Arthur fought the instinct to curl up and duck, shuddering as the ghost gripped him snuggly but not painfully around his chest.

The blond gripped Lewis’s fingers in a death grip as his feet lifted from the counter.

‘It’s just like a hug’, Arthur tried telling himself.

“J-just the h-hair… m-my arm’s n-not water p-proof y-yet” Arthur stuttered, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to calm down.

Lewis nodded, even though his friend couldn’t see, and carefully tilted his hand so Arthur was lying on his back and only his head would be exposed to the trickle of water.

Arthur whimpered as he felt himself laying more horizontal, hugging the fingers wrapped around him more tightly, trying to drown out everything by focusing on the warmth.

The mechanic let out a small gasp as water splashed his face and shoulders as the spray soaked his hair.

Lewis put a tiny dab of Dawn soap on his fingertip before gently messaging his friend’s scalp to wash out his hair.

Despite his anxiety, Arthur found himself beginning to relax as the ghost worked.

Lewis noticed this and took extra care to avoid his friend’s eyes as he rinsed the soap away.

Even at this size, Lewis was just as gentle and careful with his friend.

Arthur guessed the big guy was used to this sort of thing, having little sisters. He probably had to wash plenty of doll’s cloths and hair…

Arthur frowned at this thought, giving Lewis’s thumb a little squeeze.

That’s all he was right now, wasn’t he… a living doll?

All too soon, his hair was clean and the mechanic tensed up once more as he felt the ghost’s hand shift back towards the counter.

Arthur stumbled as he was placed back down on his own two feet, the ghost releasing his grip and stepping back.

Lewis turned to shift through a drawer and find a clean towel.

As he turned back, he noticed how much the smaller man was shivering, his hair sagging over his face as it dripped.

Balling the towel up between his hands, the ghost heated it up before draping it over his friend’s shoulders.

Arthur hugged the towel around himself with a hum, basking in the warmth as the ghost dried his shirt and vest in his hands the same way.

But, before they were completely dry, the ghost began to lay Arthur’s shirt and vest out flat, using the tips of his fingers to smooth out any wrinkles,

_“I’m gonna let these air dry for now.”_

The ghost was worried that if he dried them too fast, they could shrink… well… shrink more.

Lewis shook his head with a frown. He didn’t want to ruin his friend’s cloths.

Lewis looked over his shoulder at his deadbeats, who were hovering nearby. With a silent command, the deadbeats began to clean up the mess and continue to make dinner.

He turned back to the counter, _“Want to go check on Vivi and Mystery?”_ Lewis kept his voice soft.

All he saw was a small mount of towel, Arthur having thrown it over his head to dry his hair. It seemed to shake as the blond rubbed it over his head, before popping his head out to look at the ghost.

Lewis made a compressed laughing noise before slapping his hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking.

Arthur’s hair was fluffy like an afro from static buildup and looked like one of those toy trolls.

“What?” Arthur raised a brow as he looked up at his vibrating friend.

_“Oh, nothing… Galaham~”_ Lewis lost it and doubled over with laughter.

Arthur looked up and pouted before combing at his hair with his fingers.

“Come on, you big, purple haired doofus. I thought you wanted to check on the others?” Arthur hugged the towel closer to himself. It wasn’t as warm as it was a few moments ago.

_“I’m sorry~”_ Lewis continued to chuckle as he wiped at his eye.

Once the ghost composed himself, he rested his hand on the counter. He noticed how Arthur didn’t flinch as bad before clamoring into his palm.

 

* * *

 

 

When the boys entered the study, they were met with a pacing Mystery and a disgruntled looking Vivi. Neither smiled when they saw the two enter.

_“So…”_ Lewis tried to give an encouraging smile, placing Arthur down on the desk next to Vivi, _“no luck on the spell yet?”_

Mystery huffed before turning to face them. He gave a quizzical turn of his head when he noticed Arthur wrapped in a towel, but dismissed it as he answered,

“I may have found the original spell.”

Lewis and Arthur perked but couldn’t help but notice the angry tone in the kitsune’s voice. Arthur shifted as he brought his head out further from the towel he was wrapped in.

“The original spell was designed to shrink an individual in their entirety, which would explain why your cloths and arm shrank with you Arthur.”

Arthur shivered, going pale with nausea as he clutched at his prosthetic. If his arm hadn’t shrunk as well… he could only imagine the pain from the port that was attached to his bone being ripped out…

_“Well… now that we know the spell, you can cast the counter spell and reverse it now.”_ Lewis stated, though, it sounded more like a question.

Mystery averted his gaze, glaring off to the side. Vivi looked to Arthur sadly before answering, “We could, if Arthur was hit with the original spell, but it was altered. The counter spell won’t work on him now.”

Arthur’s shoulders drooped as he saw the look in blue eyes.

_“Can’t you… I don’t know, undo it somehow?”_ Lewis asked worriedly.

The kitsune’s tail thumped on the floor, rustling some papers, “I can’t” he growled angrily,

“The original spell was supposed to be temporary. Those blasted fools altered it somehow. Otherwise, Arthur would have turned back by now.”

Mystery continued to huff, his fur bristling,

“Spells like this aren’t possible, not without consequences…”

Lewis looked over to the desk, his eyes focused on Arthur as the blond hugged himself,

_“W-what kind of consequences?”_

The kitsune’s posture drooped in defeat,

“Let’s just say, Arthur is _very_ lucky to be alive… and sane…”

Vivi grabbed another book off the floor, feathering through its pages, “There are plenty of counter spells, I’m sure if we could just-”

“No, I won’t guess either!” Mystery cut her off.

The kitsune’s tail thrashed in agitation, “The cult muddled with it and I don’t know how. This has to be treated like a curse. If we go along guessing, we could only make it worse.”

Mystery took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He wasn’t mad at his charges, just the situation.

He turned his gaze back to the blond huddled on the desk,

“I’m sorry Arthur. But, until I know what was done to alter it, my tails are tied.” There was a whine in his tone.

Arthur hugged himself tighter as he sat down with a thump, burying his face in his arms,

“I-it’s alright Mystery… it’s not your f-fault…”

At least… no one else was affected…

Mystery’s ears drooped as he heard his charge sniffle; Arthur was trying to hold back his sobs.

_“D-don’t worry Artie. We’ll figure this out… we… we always do.”_ Lewis tried to give an assuring smile but it was strained.

Arthur didn’t look up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I want to bring Lance and Galahad into this mess but I can't think of any reason for them to just 'show up' cause Arthur wouldn't want to tell his uncle and it wouldn't make sense for the aged warrior to just pop in with a 'Hey, thought I'd drop by...'
> 
> So, if anyone has any ideas on how to get Lance involved, that'd be great.  
> I want a Galahad steed sooo badly.


	4. Dwindling Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What am I doing?!  
> What is going on?!  
> I have no idea!!!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who sent me ideas :)  
> I may not use all of them but I'm still open to them

Both Vivi and Lewis continued to look upon their boyfriend with sympathetic frowns, both wanting to comfort and assure but having no clue on where to start.

Mystery pawed at the book in front of him on the floor that contained the original shrinking spell, reading over the aged text and trying to ignore the smell of tears and fear.

Arthur continued to hug the towel to himself as he tried to get his breathing under control, a few hiccups escaping as he fought back his growing anxiety.

The towel had long since lost its warmth and the blond began to shiver once more, but he didn’t seem to notice.

Lewis’s human façade flickered, indicating his emotional turmoil. The ghost wanted to just hold his friend close and keep him safe, but at the same time he knew he would only scare Arthur further.

Vivi watched as the ghost’s human disguise faded away completely, his glowing eyes on the verge of tears. She could only grab one of the specter’s enormous hands, if only to give him something to hold on to.

Lewis startled for a moment before squeezing her hand appreciatively.

The only sound was Arthur’s quickened breathing and the rustling of paper.

Mystery cleared his throat loudly, startling everyone from the crushing silence.

“So everyone is clear, there are a few side effects to the original spell and I believe we should assume they are in effect,” Mystery swiped his paw over the book to turn the page, “Arthur, have you been feeling any discomfort since last night?”

Arthur rubbed the towel over his face before he ran his flesh hand through his hair, the towel falling off his shoulder, “You’re going to have to be more specific, cause I’m feeling all sorts of “discomfort” right now.”

The blond used air-quotes to emphasize how ‘not okay’ he was at the moment.

Mystery noticed how pale the blond looked and that he was visibly shivering. He turned his gaze back to the book as he stated out loud,

“It says here that the spell causes any living being to become somewhat exothermic.” Mystery sighed as he only received confused stares, looking straight into amber eyes, “You are incapable of retaining your body heat, much like insects and reptiles.”

Arthur hugged the towel around his shoulders but continued to shiver. The blond thought back and remembered how cold the van was until Vivi held him close, or how warm Lewis’s hands were.

Mystery continued to explain, “Covering yourself or having a blanket won’t do anything, you’ll have to be exposed to a direct heat source.”

Arthur snorted as a ridiculous image popped into his head, “What, so I’ll have to find a sunny spot in a window like a cat?”

_“I think he means me,”_ Lewis said gently, cupping his hand around the mechanic’s back and increasing his temperature.

Arthur couldn’t help but lean back into the ghost’s hand, Lewis loosely wrapping his fingers around the blond.

The ghost’s eye sockets crinkled into a relieved smile as he noticed Arthur didn’t flinch but actually relaxed into his hold, even hugging his thumb to his little chest through the towel.

Vivi patted Arthur’s head lightly with her free hand, mussing up his blond hair before she let go of the specter’s hand and walked up behind Mystery to read over his furry shoulder.

“Also, your fight or flight instincts will have increased,” Mystery continued to read.

“I can confirm that,” Arthur grumbled as he tried to fix his hair again, still hating that every little thing makes him flinch. Something pressed against his head again, making the blond crane his neck to see Lewis brushing his pointer finger through his hair affectionately.

_“I’m sorry if I still scare you Artie…”_ Lewis sighed, averting his eyes.

“Trust me Lew, you don’t scare me. I just gotta get used to my new perspective of things is all,” Arthur could only lean into the touch, squeezing the thumb he was holding tighter to his chest to assure the specter, earning a squeeze from the hand he was nestled in in return.

Vivi smiled and briefly thought about getting her camera.

“Vivi”

Maybe later

Mystery addressed their bluenette, “I’ll need your help. I can’t undo what I don’t understand.”

_“Is there anything we can do…?”_ Lewis turned to the two magic users, adjusting his hand so Arthur could climb into it.

Vivi looked to the ghost before her eyes drifted to their mechanic,

“I thinks you should just focus on Arthur and keeping him warm for now Lew,” Vivi smiled before smirking, “and you might wanna put a shirt on Artie, you’re distracting me enough already.~”

Arthur turned red before pulling the towel over his head, squeaking indignantly,

“S’Not My Fault! Lewis took my shirt!”

The ghost’s skull took on a blush but his eyes crinkled up into a smile,

_“Not sorry~”_ he chuckled, nuzzling the bundled up towel in his hand before turning and floating out of the room.

Once the door shut, Mystery stretched out to his full form and began using his tails to shift through the many notes and books scattered around the floor.

Vivi began to pace, her hand rubbing her chin in a thinking manner, “If we could find that cult… They would have to have kept some form of records… cause I doubt they would be very productive if one of their own got hit with the spell and they had no way to reverse it…”

Mystery hummed in agreement, adjusting his glasses, “I think it’s safe to assume Arthur was their first victim. I’m sure we would have heard something if others had been hit by the same cult, considering all the places they’ve broken into.”

Vivi halted her pacing as she turned to her laptop on the desk, going over their last case files and reports.

“That must have been what the animals were for, they’ve been testing their Frankenstein of a spell…” Vivi pondered.

“And have now weaponized it…” Mystery finished. The kitsune walked over to the desk and began reading over their notes as well, a worried tone to his voice, “Vivi, if these hoodlums aren’t stopped-”

“Arthur won’t be their only victim,” Vivi’s brow furrowed in thought for a moment before she cocked an eye brow at her canine teacher, “Did you just call the cultists, hood-lums?”

Mystery blinked before flashing his teeth in a smirk, “Ya, didn’t plan that one.”

“I’m sure,” Vivi scratched one of his ears before turning back to her laptop.

If they could narrow down their map, they might be able to find the cults’ base of operation…

 

* * *

 

Lewis floated back towards the kitchen, his passenger shifting slightly to hunker down further into the warmth of his hand, causing the ghost to smile.

Arthur’s clothes were still on the counter.

Lewis frowned when he saw the state they were in. The Vest looked fine but, the shirt looked a little off-white, and it was wrinkled.

Arthur was still clutching the towel close as he slid from the specter’s hand onto the counter, bending over to retrieve his shirt.

Arthur let the towel fall as he hurriedly pulled his shirt back on. It was wrinkled but he really didn’t care. It didn’t smell and he was fine by that. Just as he was about to put his vest on, the mechanic jumped with a yelp.

Lewis looked down in confusion as Arthur fumbled with his pants pocket.

Arthur was dumbfounded as he pulled out his ‘perfectly functioning phone’ from his pocket before looking at the caller I.D.

_Lance Kingsmen_

The blond stuttered as he answered hurriedly,

“U-Uncle Lance?!... H-Hi… uh… w-what’s up…?”

There was a pause before a gruff voice replied, “What’s up…? Is that any way ta greet yer employer? I’ve been tryin to get a hold a ya fer the past hour.”

“Uh… yes, I-I mean no… I mean, really, an hour? S-sorry, must of b-been a bad connection…” Arthur wanted to face-palm.

Lewis leaned in worriedly, his form towering over the mechanic. Arthur tried not to tremble at the massive shadow as it cast over him, keeping his focus on his uncle’s voice instead.

“Is there somethin the matter?” Lance had an edge to his voice, almost worry as his nephew’s voice took on a forced calm tone.

Lewis leaned in a little closer, ready to help with an explanation if one was needed, his skull a few inches above the blond as he began to pace.

“N-no, everything’s-SHHIT!!!” at that moment, Arthur looked up and nearly fell as he scrambled away from the giant skull that floated right above him, almost dropping his phone.

Lewis backed off as if he’d been struck, floating a few feet away with his hands raised and a pained look on his face, _“s-sorry sorry…”_

Arthur panted with a hand over his chest, his heart racing. He yelped when his uncle’s voice came through the phone again,

“Wanna run that by me again? Everythin’s shi-”

“FINE! Everything’s fine, Uncle Lance.” Arthur cleared his throat as he tried to re-compose himself.

“I see… So, you won’t be comin in ta work then?” came Lance’s unconvinced reply.

This time, Arthur did face-palm, “Ugh! I’m soo sorry Lance… I…” Arthur turned to Lewis and cringed.

The specter was slightly turned away, hugging himself tightly as he stared off to the side, a hurt expression on his skull.

“I can’t come in today. I… wouldn’t be much use as of now.”

There was a hum on the phone, “This wouldn’t hav’ta do with yer _other_ line a work, would it?”

Lewis side eyed the mechanic as Arthur locked eyes with the specter, “Ya, but don’t worry, I’ve got my own guardian knight keeping an eye one me.”

There was another thoughtful hum on the phone as Lewis turned more towards his friend, his eyes brightening slightly.

“Fine, but don’t think yer gettin off scot free! Yer gonna get a pay cut fer the no show today. I got a business ta run ya know.”

Arthur cringed but nodded, “Okay. Sorry Uncle Lance.”

Lance sighed, his voice getting a softer tone, “Just, let me know if ya need anythin. And keep yerself safe.”

Arthur smiled, “I promise. Thanks, Lance.”

“And that goes for a certain purple-headed ghost too!!” Lance yelled, causing Arthur to hold the phone away from his head.

Lewis straightened with a yelp, "Y-yes, sir!"

There was a snicker on the other line before it went dead, Lance having hung up.

Arthur sighed as he pocketed his phone again, bending over to retrieve his vest once more.

Lewis still hovered a few feet from the counter, his arms wrapped around his middle. He could see Arthur starting to shiver but didn’t make a move, waiting for Arthur to call him over so he didn’t scare him again.

The blond clutched his prosthetic as he turned towards the ghost and approached the edge of the counter.

Lewis tensed, fearing his friend being so close to the edge of a long drop.

“H-hey Lew… C-could you come here?” Arthur averted his gaze, clutching his arm tightly.

The ghost slowly floated over until he was right beside the counter, frowning sadly as he watched Arthur struggle not to cringe as his shadow fell over him once more.

Arthur cleared his throat as he forced himself to stand straight and look up at the towering figure in front of him, “C-could you come a little closer? Please?”

Lewis hesitantly lowered himself till his skull was nearly touching the counter-top. Arthur approached the specter’s skull until he was right in front of his face. The blond frowned as he wiped the start of tears from the ghost’s eye socket.

Lewis was nearly cross-eyed as he watched the shrunken man caress his skull affectionately.

“I’m sorry big guy. I am trying…” Arthur looked down, his shoulders drooping.

He nearly stumbled as something pushed into his back and pushed him flush into the specter’s face.

Lewis lightly rubbed at his friend’s back as he nuzzled him, closing his eye sockets,

_“I u-understand. I’ll try too.”_

Arthur sighed as he ‘hugged’ his boyfriend’s face, petting at a large cheek bone.

Arthur opened his eyes as the warmth pulled away, two glowing eyes looking at him intently, the magenta glow circling him like a spotlight,

_“Did you want something to eat?”_  Lewis continued to rub at the blond’s back lightly, feeling how tense his friend’s muscles were.

Arthur looked over to the stove, the soup the specter had made still sitting where he left it.

“Not right now. I can wait for Vivi and Mystery. That way, we can all eat together,” Arthur patted the hand that still cupped around him.

Lewis nodded before standing back up slowly. He turned his hand so Arthur could sit in it.

_“Alright, we can wait in the family room then.”_

Once Arthur was secure in his hold, the ghost turned and floated them out of the kitchen, a few deadbeats following.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, there's Lance... sort'a...  
> I don't know. I have a mental idea of Lance's personality and he doesn't seem the type to just pop up into his nephew's business unless he was worried... or if he was asked...  
> Well, he's a little concerned now, knowing how his nephew is. He's not ignorant, he know's somthin's up.
> 
> I have an aunt who is blunt and gruff and doesn't take shit from nobody and is a little iffy on 'touchy-feely' stuff. But she will tear down doors if you need help for anything and she gives the best bear hugs known to man if you need one... X)


	5. Comfort together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is taking forever
> 
> Job #3 has been giving me more hours cause they are having a hard time keeping reliable employees.
> 
> Sorry if this seems meh

They floated in silence for a while.

Lewis could see the guilty frown on the blond’s face as he hugged his knees in the specter’s palm. He could feel how tense he was, trembling from his anxiety and fighting to keep it under control.

The ghost knew it wasn’t his fault that he scared the blond, it was the spell…

Mostly…

“I guess I gotta hand it to ya Lew,” Arthur’s voice cut the silence, causing the specter to look down at him, “you’re better than any space heater known to man.”

A strained smile pulled at the mechanic’s face, trying to lighten the tension.

Lewis tried to smile back. He knew Arthur joked when something was bothering him.

If only he could make the blond smile for real. That would help them both relax a bit.

Lewis’s eyes brightened as they entered the family room, looking at a book shelf that sat against a far wall.

The ghost shrugged nonchalantly as an idea hit him, his voice soft,

_“I did a theatrical performance about puns the other day with the deadbeats,”_ Lewis smirked.

Arthur looked up at the specter quizzically. Lewis only smiled wider,

_“Turns out, it was a play on words~”_

Arthur couldn’t help the smile pull on his face at Lewis’s joke as they approached the couch, both feeling lighter in some way.

The ghost paused next to the couch. After some thought, Lewis pulled a couch cushion over and sat down next to it. He let Arthur slide off his hand onto the cushion before grabbing the remote and placing it next to the blond.

Arthur stumbled a bit, the plush surface hard to balance on, before he sat down in the middle of it.

“Anything you wanna watch while we wait?” Arthur asked as he messed with the buttons on the remote, turning the T.V. on and scanning through the channels.

_“Na, you go ahead. I’m gonna read if you don’t mind.”_ The ghost reached for a book that was sitting on an end table, opening it to a marked page.

Lewis rested his left elbow on the armrest as he began to read, draping his other hand over the mechanic’s shoulders to keep him warm as he flipped through channels.

A half hour went by and Arthur wasn’t having any luck with the T.V.

The ghost’s hand flexed once in a while, large fingers ghosting through blond hair and hugging Arthur’s shoulders. Arthur looked up and saw Lewis had an intent look on his skull, all his focus on his book.

Arthur grew curious and stood up, the ghost’s hand not moving from where it was sitting. Stumbling, Arthur wobbled his way over to the ghost’s lap, trying to peer up at the words the ghost was reading.

Lewis blinked when he felt something scramble into his lap.

Looking down, he saw the tiny blond trying to balance on his leg as he craned his neck to look at the book he was reading.

_“See something you like?~”_ Lewis teased, catching the blond as he teetered backwards off his lap.

Arthur grabbed the ghost’s hand as it came close, trying to regain his balance.

“S-sorry, just board… I guess.” Arthur turned to head back to the cushion but tensed when Lewis’s fingers wrapped around his torso. The mechanic yelped when his feet lifted off the ghost’s leg.

A moment later, he found himself sitting on his boyfriend’s shoulder, able to see the whole room from his new elevation.

Arthur clutched at the suit beneath him as he looked over at the skull floating next to him.

_“Is this a better view?”_ Lewis shifted slowly until the book was in view of his passenger, squaring his shoulders.

Arthur gave the ghost a shy smile as he nodded, “Y-ya, this is fine.”

Lewis kept a side eye view of the mechanic as he continued to read his book. But he kept most of his attention on his passenger now.

 

* * *

 

 

Arthur sighed again, exhausted but still anxious.

A few hours had gone by and Arthur was beyond board, his friends’ book not really catching his interest.

_“You could take a nap while we wait,”_ Lewis suggested as he continued to read, feeling Arthur fidget and shift on his shoulder.

Arthur responded with another sigh.

Tilting his skull, Lewis could see as well as feel Arthur lay long ways on his shoulder, using the ghost’s collar as a head rest as he tried to relax.

Lewis’s eyes crinkled into a smile as he went back to his book, keeping his shoulders squared so Arthur wouldn’t accidentally slip off should he fall asleep.

Arthur dozed for a bit, trying to relax as best he could. He hadn’t really slept in the past 2 days and it was starting to wear on him.

But Lewis was warm and comforting, just being with him making him feel safe.

Arthur’s eyes started to grow heavy as his breathing evened out, his mind drifting. But a foreign presence seemed to fall in beside Arthur, making him tense once more.

Peeking an eye open, Arthur noticed two very large and very yellow eyes staring at him.

With a surprised yelp, Arthur flailed to back away from the large, pink face beside him.

He realized his mistake too late as he began to slide off his current perch.

Grabbing desperately at the ghost’s lapel, Arthur let out a shriek as he continued to fall down the length of his largest companion’s torso.

But, before he could make a rather painful impact on his friends’ lap, a very large and very warm hand caught the blond.

Arthur landed on his back with an ‘oof’, the air getting knocked out of him. He was dazed from the impact, gasping, his heart still racing. He rolled on his side and remained curled up with his head covered as the hand seemed to shift beneath him, radiating warmth.

_“Madre de Dios! Are you alright Artie?”_ Lewis’s voice echoed all around the blond, so close he could feel the vibrations of the others’ deep voice.

Arthur poked his head up slightly and tensed up in shock at how close his friends’ eyes were, casting a magenta glow over his whole body as he sat in the middle of Lewis’s large hand.

Said eyes were only full of concern though as he could feel the tiny vibrations of his friend from his increased trembling.

Sensing Arthur’s distress, Lewis pulled his hand a little away from his skull, giving his friend more space.

A trilling sound caused the ghost to look over his shoulder to find a rather apologetic looking deadbeat hovering just behind the couch.

_“I have told you all countless times that Arthur is not a plaything…”_ Lewis growled but cut off when the trembling in his hand seemed to intensify.

Sighing quietly, the ghost turned back to his minion and whispered, _“I know you’re all just curious, but please respect the situation a little more.”_

The deadbeat gave a sad chirp but nodded, floating out of the room.

After watching the little pink spook leave through the ceiling, Lewis let out an exasperated sigh. He turned his attention back to his small passenger and his eyes saddened.

A small sniffle surprises the specter and caused him to bring his hand up closer to his skull once more in worry.

_“You’re not hurt, are you?”_

“I-I h-hate th-this…” Arthur hiccupped, that last scare finally breaking him.

Lewis’s heart ache upon seeing his best friend all hunched up and shaking, looking even smaller than before in the center of his massive hand.

Arthur continued to cry, the whole situation finally taking its toll on him.

The mechanic began to ramble, voicing his despair, “W-what if-f I’m st-stuck like this… what if, what if it’s permanent… I can’t go to work, I-I can’t drive, I can’t even take c-care of myself… I’ve… I’ve lost all c-control!” Arthur began choking on his words as his sobs increased.

Lewis tried shushing his friend, cupping his other hand near the blond in an attempt to block out the world around him, to make him feel safe and more secure.

The specter began to hum a nameless tune, brushing a finger through blond hair as Arthur clutched at his thumb in a desperate hug.

They weren’t sure how much time went by, but Arthur’s trembling seemed to lessen as he clung to the massive appendage, burying his face against Lewis’s thumb, a few tears smearing against the ghost’s skin.

A whoosh of air rustled blond hair as the ghost moved his hand, causing Arthur to look up at the ghost’s face that was now mere inches from his own.

But he didn’t flinch or cower this time.

Arthur sniffled again, his eyes closed as Lewis took on his living façade.

The blond soon felt a warm pressure on the side of his head and hair. It didn’t last long but he looked up in time to see Lewis pulling back after kissing him.

_“Don’t worry mi Tesoro, we’ll fix this. I promise.”_

The ghost gave him such a loving and sincere look Arthur found himself shifting in the massive hand he was in to lean forward and smooch his boyfriend on his nose, much to the ghost’s surprise.

The heat radiating off the ghost increased slightly as Lewis’s projected face seemed to take on a blush.

Lewis’s face stretched into a goofy grin, _“Th-that was… I-I mean…”_ the ghost almost squealed in delight at the cuteness of the interaction with his boyfriend.

A small smile tugged on the tiny man’s face as he nuzzled the ghost’s thumb affectionately, still clinging to it tightly.

 

The hand beneath Arthur shifted as he felt something lightly brush his back.

Lewis ever so gently curled his fingers around his friend, petting him lightly in an attempt to send him comfort.

He could feel how tense the smaller man was, but the blond slowly began to relax as the ghost continued to rub his shoulders and back soothingly.

Arthur sighed, wiping away his tears.

They’d fix this. And even if they didn’t, his friends would always be there for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Job #2 is still my favorite though
> 
> Here's why: http://tatertron1.deviantart.com/art/Screamster-2016-Action-Shot-638633865
> 
> I don't know what I'm gonna do with myself when the season is over...


	6. How about a sandwich…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vivi cuddles, as promised :3

It wasn’t long before Arthur finally passed out, exhausted from all the building stress.

The petting had felt like a message, the ghost’s hands radiating comforting warmth and a promise of protection and safety.

 

Lewis continued to watch as his companion slowly slumped down in his hand and curl up on his side, a sort of calm expression on his face.

It wasn’t until light snoring could be heard from the blond that Vivi walked in and sat down next to the ghost.

“How is he?” Vivi asked quietly, leaning on her boyfriend slightly as she looked into his hands.

_“About how you’d expect… nervous and terrified,”_ the ghost continued to lightly brush his fingers on his friend as he slept, Arthur snuggling into his hand.

“He looks so adorable like this~…” Vivi brought up her own hand and gently brushed a few blond hairs from the mechanic’s face.

Both sat in silence for a while, listening to their friend as he slept.

But the silence was broken with a loud growl.

Lewis looked over to the bluenette with a raised eyebrow, Vivi blushing as she crossed her arms with a pout.

_“Is someone hungry?”_ Lewis teased.

Vivi would have shoved the ghost but didn’t want to accidentally dislodge their boyfriend.

“I was on my way to the kitchen when I decided to check up on you dorks.”

Lewis nodded, his eyes returning to his hands, _“Dinner’s cold but I can reheat it in a few moments. I don’t think Arthur will eat but…”_ Lewis trailed off.

He promised himself he would never leave Arthur alone. But, it wouldn’t be safe to hold the blond while working around a hot stove…

Vivi seemed to read the ghost’s expression, “I can hold him while he sleeps so you don’t have to worry.” Lewis deadpanned before she continued, “I can be gentle, I mean, I handle sensitive spells all the time.”

This was true, the bluenette did have steady hands. But she was also easily distracted…

Her stomach gave another loud statement before the ghost gave in.

Lewis held his hands out slowly before his girlfriend.

“I’ve got the perfect place for him Lew~” Vivi gently curled her fingers around the blond before lifting him out of the ghost’s hands.

Even in Vivi’s hold, Arthur looked so small and fragile.

Once Arthur was secure in Vivi’s care, Lewis floated to the kitchen, the bluenette following lightly so as not to wake their sleeping friend.

 

* * *

Arthur shifted in his sleep, feeling something pulsing strongly beside him.

The blond made a small mewling sound as he snuggled closer to the warmth.

There was a small giggle that made his whole body vibrate.

“Hey, that tickles~” Vivi’s voice was soft but it vibrated all around him, causing him to wake.

Arthur opened his eyes and blinked tiredly, trying to focus.

He was leaning against something soft that pulsed in a constant rhythm. It was warm and cozy and so very blue.

He snuggled against the warmth and constant pulsing, having it lull him back to sleep.

That is, until it vibrated again with another giggle.

Sitting up, Arthur realized he couldn’t see Lewis anymore.

He couldn’t see anything…

“Where…?”

Everything was blue, and it smelled very familiar… like Vivi’s perfume…

Arthur rested his hand against his ‘bed’ and shuddered as he realized the pulsing was a heartbeat, Vivi’s heartbeat.

He was snuggled up against Vivi’s neck, using her scarf as a sort of hammock!

“V-Vivi…?” Arthur wobbled as he got to his knees and pushed at the blue fabric that was surrounding him.

Pulling himself to his feet, Arthur popped his head out into the open and had to blink as his eyes adjusted to the light.

He could see they were back in the kitchen, the smell of Lewis’s cooking filling the air.

Vivi shifted until her cheek was pressed into the blond’s head affectionately, “Good evening Thumbelina~” Vivi teased, carefully bringing her hand up for the mechanic to grab on to.

Arthur remained dumbfounded as he distractedly stumbled into the awaiting hand before him, not fully awake it would seem.

Vivi giggled at his bed head as she cupped her hand around her boyfriend, lightly kissing the top of his head before moving him down onto the table.

Arthur slipped out of her palm, noting how much different it was from Lewis’s.

He could feel her blood pulsing in her veins through her skin, and it was smaller and softer than the ghost’s.

Vivi’s hand lingered around the blond, giving him a little squeeze before pulling away reluctantly.

Arthur turned around to see a towering Vivi sitting at the kitchen island, watching him with a soft smile,

“How’re you feeling?” she kept her voice soft as she clasped her hands together and rested her chin on them tiredly.

Arthur could see the fatigue in her eyes, her hair slightly messy from where she had been combing her hands through it.

Before he could answer, the ground vibrated slightly as Lewis placed a bowl in front of the bluenette.

The smell was heavenly.

_“You really need to eat something,”_ Lewis pleaded, knowing the blond hadn’t eaten anything in the past twenty-four hours.

“I, I guess I could try…” Arthur crossed his arms, trying to ignore the growling from his stomach. He was hungry, but he was worried he wouldn’t be able to keep anything down.

Vivi smirked at the shrunken man, grabbing a spoon, “Now you really are a ‘bean’~ At this rate, you’ll blow away for sure if you don’t eat,” she laughed.

“And you’re still a bottomless pit,” Arthur grumbled with a pout but not looking away from the food.

Vivi looked to the blond and then back to her bowl. Lewis was slicing a loaf of bread nearby, deep in thought.

Vivi hummed before she grabbed a slice of bread and began to tear it into smaller pieces. She spooned out some of the contents of her soup, minus the broth, and before anyone could ask, three little sandwiches were set aside on the edge of a plate.

“There~ Now you can enjoy it. Leave it to the master maker of sandwiches to make sure her boys don’t miss out on Lewis’s cooking~” Vivi stated matter of fact like, a proud smile on her face.

Arthur stared at the food, his stomach growling again, loud enough for the others to hear. He crouched down onto his knees beside the plate, causing Lewis to frown.

Arthur had nowhere to sit…

_“Hang on a sec…”_ Lewis placed a hand on the table as his face scrunched up in concentration.

Arthur jumped to his feet as a purple flame snaked out of the table right beside him. It seemed to twist and bend before the glow faded and an elegant café table and chair, Arthur’s size, became solid. It had cast iron, clawed feet and a mahogany wood table top. There was even a little plate and cup sitting on it.

Vivi’s eyes sparkled as they watched Arthur touch the new furniture in awe.

“How did you-?”

Lewis only smiled, _“Because, I am a master of style~”_ The ghost popped out his hip as he whipped his head back dramatically, earning a laugh from his two baes.

Arthur only shook his head with a smile as the sandwiches Vivi made had him drifted to the plate on the table with a snap of the ghost’s fingers and his glass was filled with water.

Vivi couldn’t hold back any longer as she dug into the food with vigor, her eyes never leaving the small blond as he enjoyed the sandwiches as well.

 

* * *

 

 

Mystery sighed loudly, sitting alone in the study.

He gazed upon his tails in thought, his eyes solemn.

There was a way to reverse the ‘curse’ on their friend, but it was risky and came with a price.

He believed the price would be worth it, willing to give anything for his charges, but he knew they would not agree, especially Arthur.

Mystery snorted with a smile. That boy was the most selfless person he had ever been honored to meet, same as the others.

No, he won’t risk it. He’ll save it as a last resort, for their sake at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is taking so long, I really am.
> 
> My brain decided to continue on another fic I've working on that I started when I was still writing 'Intangible Sorrow'...
> 
> Why do you hate me brain? :v


	7. Appreciate the little things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a size chart to give you an idea of how small I imagine Arthur is compared to Mystery.
> 
> https://ourplnt.com/largest-prehistoric-mammals/giant-rhinoceros-size-comparison/
> 
> I'll let your imagination fill you in for the others.

Vivi excused herself after only one helping, pecking the ghost on the cheek and Arthur on the top of his head. It didn’t go un-noticed how little she ate compared to any other meal.

Lewis gave a sad sigh after she left, leaving him and Arthur alone once more as he washed the dishes and put the remaining left-overs in the fridge. After wiping down the counter tops, the ghost turned back to the kitchen island. He blinked as he watched a tiny blond inspect the new furniture once more.

Arthur was intrigued. It felt like real cast-iron and wood, but he knew it wasn’t. How? Was it just a solid projection, like from a sci-fi movie, or was it alchemy, like from that anime he used to watch with Lewis.

Or maybe it was just magic…

Arthur shook his head. He’d believe the alchemy bit before the ladder, which was funny, considering Vivi and Mystery could wield power much like Lewis.

Arthur turned back to his larger companion and noticed the ghost looking at him intently. Lewis blinked a few times before blushing, having been caught staring,

_“S-sorry”_

Both stood in silence for a moment, both fidgeting.

_“So…”_ Lewis started out, but was interrupted by a smaller voice,

“Can we go to my work bench for a bit? I want to check something.”

Arthur had crossed his arms, trying to fight off a shiver as he waited for a reply.

Lewis placed his open palm on the table, holding still till the shrunken man sat comfortably in his hand before straitening back up and floating out of the kitchen.

When they got to Arthur’s work room, Lewis’s face twisted into a pout.

The room was a mess, scattered papers and metal scraps everywhere. The trash bin was hidden under a small mountain of waded up balls of paper and broken pencils.

The ghost didn’t even want to acknowledge the empty energy drink cans littered everywhere.

Lewis looked down to his companion, fighting the urge to complain, knowing there was nothing the shrunken man could do about it right now.

Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly, pointing his hand towards his work bench without a word, trying not to provoke the awaiting argument.

Surprisingly though, the work bench was organized, most of the tools hung up or laying out and the tables’ surface free of clutter.

Arthur always preferred a clean area to work on his arm so he didn’t lose any parts.

Lewis sat his hand down and Arthur jumped down with barely a stumble. He was becoming more adjusted to his new size. Lewis remained silent as Arthur walked around, running his flesh hand over things as he inspected them.

Arthur’s voice came out timid, causing the ghost to lean in close to hear better,

**“** Hey Lew… you think… you think you could do the same thing like you did with that table and chair, but with tools instead?” Amber eyes were full of curiosity and hope, no longer feeling fear at the ghost’s close proximity.

Lewis seemed to ponder for a moment, noticing how Arthur wasn’t cowering in his shadow with relief before looking over the tools on the work bench,

_“I could try.”_

Arthur walked over to a simple flat-head screwdriver, nudging it with his foot. Lewis took the hint and picked it up, looking it over before putting it back down.

Closing his eyes, the ghost held a fist out as it glowed faintly. Arthur watched in pure fascination as Lewis’s shoulders seemed to relax and he looked down to his fist. Opening his hand, both could see a tiny, purple screwdriver sitting in his palm.

Amber eyes shone in awe as he leaned into the hand and grabbed the tool, looking it over with wonder. It was solid and fit into his tiny hand perfectly.

Arthur looked up at the specter with wide eyes, seeing the kind smile on projected lips,

“ _So, what else do you need?”_

 

* * *

 

It was late into the night when Arthur had a miniature version of every tool he needed and had dismantled his arm completely.

It hadn’t felt right since he’d been shrunk and he wanted to make sure everything was working properly.

It wasn’t just an excuse to not sleep. Nope.

Arthur was sitting cross-legged on his work bench, almost leaning back into the giant face that was right behind him.

Lewis was sitting in a desk chair, his arms crossed on the bench and his head resting on them as he watched the mechanic work. Arthur insisted that the ghost’s hair and eyes were providing him with the perfect amount of light.

Arthur let out a pout, however, when he lost his light, Lewis having turned his head towards the door, hearing the familiar clicking of claws on the floor.

Mystery paused in the doorway for a few moments, taking in the scene.

_“Any luck?”_ Lewis’s voice was hopeful.

Mystery’s collar jingled as he shook his head, his ears drooping.

Arthur’s shoulders slumped slightly before he turned his attention back to his arm, busying himself once more.

“ _Has Vivi gone to bed?”_ Lewis turned a little from his seat to face the canine more.

“In a sense,” Mystery sat to scratch behind one of his ears before shaking his coat out, “If you aren’t busy, Lewis, I could use your assistance for something that requires hands.”

Lewis looked back at the blond, surrounded by the components from his arm. Arthur only shrugged, knowing he couldn’t be left behind, not that he wanted to be left alone anyways.

Lewis would bring him back so he could put his arm back together.

Mystery waited patiently as Arthur stood and brushed himself off before climbing into a massive hand, minus an arm. The ghost turned to follow their four legged companion to the study.

 

* * *

 

Lewis smiled slightly as he took in the scene before him.

Sure enough, Vivi was sprawled out over her notes and several books, her brow creased in a restless slumber on the floor.

“That can’t be good for her back…” Mystery thought aloud, sitting by his charge as Lewis knelt.

The ghost carded his free hand through blue hair, earning a sleepy mumble from the bluenette.

Arthur frowned, knowing she was pushing herself for him.

“Hey Lew, put me down.”

Lewis hesitated before placing the shrunken man by their girlfriend on the floor.

Paper crunched under his sneakers as Arthur approached the giantess. Without fear, Arthur placed his right hand onto Vivi’s temple before giving her a small kiss.

Vivi’s face seemed to relax somewhat at the affection.

Without needing to be told, Lewis scooped Vivi into his massive arms and floated to his feet, giving Arthur an assured look before heading to the master bedroom.

Mystery watched quietly at the exchange. Once the ghost and girl were gone, it was just a disguised kitsune and a shrunken man.

Mystery almost chuckled at the thought, it sounding like the opening to a bad joke.

Red eyes fixated on the blond as Arthur crouched over their notes, trying to piece them together. Arthur seemed calm, not overwhelmed as the kitsune would have assumed.

Mystery was deep in thought, going over all the negative side-effects of the shrinking spell, noting how the blond wasn’t displaying any of them save for the lack of body heat.

The canine was startled however when he heard his name called,

“Hey Mystery, can you help me straighten the map out, I don’t weigh enough.”

Arthur was standing on a wrinkle on the map, practically jumping on it to try and flatten it out.

Mystery approached slowly, not wanting to make any sudden moves. But Arthur seemed too focused on the paper he was standing on rather than the Paraceratherium sized canine beside him.

The blond took a step back as a large paw glided across the map, smoothing out all the wrinkles, causing the shrunken man to stumble slightly.

Arthur began to walk across the map, studying the lines drawn on it with his hand on his chin in a thinking pose. Mystery noticed a small shiver from the blond from time to time but wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or from fear.

Mystery bowed his head sadly, thinking his friend wouldn’t accept any comfort from the canine that removed his arm in a brutal fashion.

Arthur, however, didn’t seem to notice the sad look the kitsune was splaying.

 

* * *

 

Vivi mumbled tiredly as she shifted in the ghost’s hold, arms and legs splaying out every which way.

A deadbeat opened the bedroom door as the ghost approached.

After pulling the blankets back, Lewis laid their bluenette down gently.

After removing her shoes and scarf, Lewis was about to pull her glasses off when two hands latched onto his suddenly, causing his hair to flare up in surprise.

“Where’s Arthur!” Vivi sat up abruptly, eyes darting around in fear.

Lewis cupped her face with his hands, causing blue eyes to look into magenta ones, _“It’s alright, he’s safe. I left him with Mystery.”_

The ghost could see the tension leave her features but the worry was still there. She must have had a bad dream.

“I… I didn’t mean to doze off...” she stated regretfully.

She was worried. If this was a simple fix, she would enjoy having a little Artie to carry around and cuddle. But, what if they couldn’t change him back...?

A large thumb brushed the start of tears away from blue eyes.

Lewis pressed his forehead against Vivi’s, looking into her eyes,

_“We’ll figure something out, mi zafiro, I know we will. But you need to rest. You’ll feel better in the morning, I’m sure.”_

Vivi wanted to protest, looking past the ghost towards the door. Lewis pressed his spectral lips to her temple,

_“You know Arthur would agree. He’s as worried about you as we are of him.”_

Vivi started to relax, letting the ghost put her to bed. It was weird though, not having her boys close.

Lewis could see the reluctance in her eyes as she tried to smile for him before she settled more into the bed to sleep… alone…

Lewis waited until her breathing evened out before floating from the bed and heading back to the others.

Arthur was probably freezing by now.

* * *

Mystery was lost in thought, his constant guilt throbbing painfully in his chest.

He nearly yelped in surprise when something plopped onto his foot.

Looking down, Mystery deadpanned when he saw Arthur using his paw as a chair, still staring at the map.

He could see him shivering, but the smell of fear was absent.

Arthur suddenly stood and grabbed a black marker, or, at least tried to.

Having one arm sucked. But, being smaller than the utensil sucked more.

After struggling with the thing until he was out of breath, Arthur jumped when the marker was pulled into the air by a white muzzle.

Mystery gave a sheepish smile at Arthur’s surprised reaction.

Arthur shook his head before turning back to the map,

“Hey Mystery, can you put an x on all the stores that were hit?”

Mystery made a mumbled woof before complying, a little bit of drool dripping onto the map.

Following Arthur’s instructions, a large number of x’s appeared in a cluster.

Pretty soon, Arthur was standing in the middle of the x’s, walking heel to toe, making calculations of distance in his head.

“Here! Right here, Mystery, get me to the desk so I can see what the computer says about these coordinates.”

Mystery dropped the marker with a plop before lowering his head so Arthur could climb on.

After a few slips, Arthur was standing on Mystery’s head as the canine walked to the desk. Rearing up onto his hind legs, Mystery laid his chin near their laptop.

Arthur slid off and ran to the computer, Mystery working the mouse as the blond jumped from key to key, typing in the information.

After a few failed attempts, an image popped up with an address. It was an old poultry warehouse. The description labeled the building condemned and empty, but the two knew better.

It was the perfect place to hide a cult.

“We found them!” Arthur exclaimed excitedly, booping Mystery’s nose with a friendly fist-bump.

The canine’s eyes widened.

Arthur touched him, with his flesh hand, on his face, near his teeth, without flinching or so much as an afterthought.

Unaware of the canine’s shock, Arthur continuing to rub Mystery’s nose affectionately. Mystery was still frozen as Arthur continued to pet him, moving from his muzzle to the side of his face and to the base of his right ear where he could reach.

Then, Arthur hit ‘that spot!’

Mystery couldn’t hold back any longer as he let out a happy groan, his tail wagging in bliss.

“Great job Mystery. Good boy.” Arthur continued to pet the canine, no fear clouding his judgment.

Mystery whined happily. He had been so worried that the spell would have driven Arthur to madness from the overwhelming stimuli, the over growing fear and paranoia hard to overcome.

But Arthur surprised him, overcoming through sheer will. The blond seemed in an even better state of mind than before he was cursed.

They could only hope that when, not if, they reversed the effects, Arthur would come back stronger than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long.  
> This weekend is my last for work.  
> http://tatertron1.deviantart.com/art/Screamster-2016-Parade-Costume-642174578?ga_submit_new=10%253A1477435128&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1&ga_recent=1
> 
> But now I'm house hunting with a friend cause I gotta move to another collage.
> 
> I'm perfectly calm *pterodactyl screeching*   
> Yep, cool as a cucumber...


End file.
